Boers and Bernstein should really **** with all the "Sox don't have a closer" talk.

The only blown save can be reasonably traced to the fact that he hadn't pitched for 5 days and because of that, for once, didn't have his sharp control.

He has a 1.40 ERA since April 12th. Has been put in all kinds of pressure situations as a set-up man AND a closer.

As long as he stays healthy, he will be more than fine.

Palehose13

08-10-2004, 02:06 PM

Boers and Bernstein should really **** with all the "Sox don't have a closer" talk.

The only blown save can be reasonably traced to the fact that he hadn't pitched for 5 days and because of that, for once, didn't have his sharp control.

He has a 1.40 ERA since April 12th. Has been put in all kinds of pressure situations as a set-up man AND a closer.

As long as he stays healthy, he will be more than fine.
I agree. They (B&B) probably have nothing else to tlak about. Do what I did...turn them off. :smile:

mcfish

08-10-2004, 02:15 PM

Why did Marte get the call in a save situation the only game we beat Cleveland? Shingo blew 1 save and all of a sudden he's platooning with Marte again. Luckily we won the game. Also possibly luckily, Marte blew it so this might not happen again.

Gimm

08-10-2004, 02:24 PM

Why did Marte get the call in a save situation the only game we beat Cleveland? .To be fair to Marte, he deserved to get a save -- he blew Hefner away, made a good pitch on Martinez and jammed the hell out of Blake.

Unfortunately, somehow Martinez was able to hit a chest-high 94 mph fastball and tie up the ball game. Credit goes to the All-Star hitter.

In terms of pitch-quality, however, it was vintage Marte.

South Side

08-10-2004, 02:31 PM

Why did Marte get the call in a save situation the only game we beat Cleveland? Shingo blew 1 save and all of a sudden he's platooning with Marte again. Luckily we won the game. Also possibly luckily, Marte blew it so this might not happen again.
Ozzie said the next day he called on Marte b/c Shingo had pitched 2 or 3 days in a row.

JB98

08-10-2004, 02:31 PM

Why did Marte get the call in a save situation the only game we beat Cleveland? Shingo blew 1 save and all of a sudden he's platooning with Marte again. Luckily we won the game. Also possibly luckily, Marte blew it so this might not happen again.
I think bringing in Marte to face Hafner in a one-run game was a good move, especially considering that Shingo had thrown around 30 pitches in a laborious ninth inning on Saturday. After Marte impressively blew away Hafner, Ozzie played his gut feeling and kept him in to face Martinez, who is equally dangerous from both sides of the plate anyway. Marte got to two strikes, but then he missed a location and got beat. I think Shingo would have come in to face Blake had Marte retired Martinez, or even kept him in the ballpark. Shingo is still firmly entrenched as the team's closer. I wouldn't read too much into the situation on Sunday. I don't think stamina is one of Shingo's long suits, so from time to time, you will see Marte in the ninth inning. You may recall Marte nailing down the save against the Twins the final game of our sweep in late June/early July. Shingo had pitched three straight days and needed a break. I think we have reached another point this weekend where they thought Shingo needed a day off. He got one last night, and unfortunately, Politte might have cost us the game. If Shingo were rested, he would have come on in the 9th last night.

Gimm

08-10-2004, 03:04 PM

.Marte got to two strikes, but then he missed a location and got beatDude, that pitch was 94 mph and WAY above the belt. Martinez simply guessed right, shortened the swing and hit it. That's just great hitting, period.

And Marte jammed Blake, inducing a chopper off the plate. Thems the breaks.

Shingo is 35 and cannot be pitched in every game. If Marte pitches like he pitched against Hefner, Martinez and Blake the rest of the way, we're in good shape.

windycityson

08-10-2004, 03:10 PM

And Marte jammed Blake, inducing a chopper of the plate. Thems the breaks.

Shingo is 35 and cannot be pitched in every game.[/QUOTE]
I don't think age is the issue. Shingo pitched against Cleveland last trip to Cleveland. I think they just knew what to expect.

His pitch selection is the same every time. Fastball, Slider, Frisbee. These hitters are major league hitters. By the second or third time you face him, you know what's coming. It's not like he's an overpowering pitcher. It's quicker to adjust to an offspeed pitcher than it is to a power pitcher.

OEO Magglio

08-10-2004, 03:11 PM

This is one of the reasons I can't listen to those bozo's. Everytime I listened all I heard was how the league is going to catch up to shingo and he's not that good. I know there are people here who find them funny but they really bothered me when I listened to them, so I just stopped listening to them.:bandance:

OEO Magglio

08-10-2004, 03:13 PM

[QUOTE=windycityson His pitch selection is the same every time. Fastball, Slider, Frisbee. These hitters are major league hitters. By the second or third time you face him, you know what's coming. It's not like he's an overpowering pitcher. It's quicker to adjust to an offspeed pitcher than it is to a power pitcher.[/QUOTE]

That's bs. We've been hearing that all year and he blows one save and everyone thinks that's the case. He's faced plenty of teams 3 or 4 times, nobody is figuring him out, he fell behind in the count and got hit. The guy knows how to pitch, period. Shingo can basically tell the hitters that his frisbee is coming and if he gets it over they still have no chance because there so off balance.

windycityson

08-10-2004, 03:19 PM

Don't get me wrong. He's 10x better than Crotch and I'm gald he's in black. I just would like to see him change his pitch selection to throw the hitters off some more.

duke of dorwood

08-10-2004, 03:23 PM

I agree. They (B&B) probably have nothing else to tlak about. Do what I did...turn them off. :smile:
Do what I do, never turn 670 on at all

JB98

08-10-2004, 03:34 PM

Dude, that pitch was 94 mph and WAY above the belt. Martinez simply guessed right, shortened the swing and hit it. That's just great hitting, period.
True, but the pitch was out over the plate, where Martinez was able to get some extension. Davis wanted the pitch on the inner-half, under the hands of Martinez. I'm not saying it was a terrible pitch. But I stick by my original statement: Marte missed location and got beat.

soxtalker

08-10-2004, 03:40 PM

I think that Shingo will have to pitch for a couple of seasons before a lot of people have confidence in him. He just pitches so differently than most closers. While there are other control closers, he tends to be even slower than almost all of them. Plus, the dominant fastball pitcher is the sterotype for a closer in the majors.

Maybe major league ball players will figure him out, but there were a lot of good ball players in Japan who didn't. I'm actually amazed that his experience in Japan doesn't count for more, but the relatively low price that the Sox paid is a testimony to the fact that it doesn't.

Gimm

08-12-2004, 01:16 PM

True, but the pitch was out over the plate, where Martinez was able to get some extension. Davis wanted the pitch on the inner-half, .
If the ball that fast and high had been inside where the catcher was setting up, then a hitter as smart as Martinez wouldn't have even bothered swinging at it.

Marte threw a pitch that 80% of major leaguers pop up or miss. Martinez didn't. This is baseball. Can't double guess everything - even the best pitchers get beat on a good pitch.

StockdaleForVeep

08-13-2004, 01:15 AM

Why did Marte get the call in a save situation the only game we beat Cleveland? Shingo blew 1 save and all of a sudden he's platooning with Marte again. Luckily we won the game. Also possibly luckily, Marte blew it so this might not happen again.

Oz still says he plays the numbers when deciding what reliever to put in.

calderon

08-13-2004, 11:00 AM

"Spinmeisters"

idseer

08-13-2004, 11:38 AM

His pitch selection is the same every time. Fastball, Slider, Frisbee. These hitters are major league hitters. By the second or third time you face him, you know what's coming. It's not like he's an overpowering pitcher. It's quicker to adjust to an offspeed pitcher than it is to a power pitcher.
right! of course all those stupid japanese couldn't figure him out for many years ... but hey .. these are major leaguers! :rolleyes:

SOXSINCE'70

08-13-2004, 11:46 AM

Boers and Bernstein should really **** with all the "Sox don't have a closer" talk."Burns and Borestein,who the hell are they??" :D: :D:
-Hawk last weekend